Rebel Girls
by recessiveinheritance
Summary: AU, set in a modern day college. Bonnibel is just your above-average over-achieving college sophomore. She's a promising biochem student who doesn't have time for much else other than her studies. But when she meets a certain tall pale stranger, she begins to question everything she's ever known. Rated M for later chapters. Bubbeline.
1. Chapter 1

1:53 am.

Bonnie read the digital clock on her desk and sighed. She had been rewriting the same paragraph over and over for nearly thirty minutes now. No matter what she did, she just couldn't get the phrasing right.

She looked over to her slumbering roommate. Juli had been asleep for quite some time now. Bonnie wondered how the girl could get so many hours and still manage to finish her work on time. _I know why,_ Bonnie thought, _It's because she's not an insane biochem major like me._

Bonnie turned her focus back to the screen of her laptop, the only light in the darkened room. The cursor blinked intimidatingly and Bonnie stared it down as if it would surrender the correct wording to her. When it relinquished nothing, she kneaded her forehead in her hands. _Sometimes being a perfectionist is just not to my advantage. And English has never been my strong suit anyway._

Bonnie decided that this paragraph would have to wait until the morning. She had an 8 A.M. class anyway, and really had to be getting to bed. She powered down her laptop and climbed the ladder to her lofted bed. Bonnie clambered into position on her relatively comfy bunk, her face only inches from the ceiling. _Good thing I've already changed into my pajamas and brushed my teeth, because glob knows I wouldn't have the energy to do it now._ Mere minutes after the thought passed through her conscious, Bonnie was drifting off into sweet dreamless sleep.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

The alarm clock couldn't get any more obnoxious. _Why did I pick this ringtone?_ After what seemed like a full minute of struggling, Bonnie managed to locate her cell phone and disable the alarm. The phone read 7:00 a.m. Grumbling, the teenage girl began to scale the ladder. She clumsily dressed herself in whatever happened to be at the front of her closet—today, a dress and a hoodie. Both were pink, Bonnie's favorite color since childhood. It tended to dominate most of her wardrobe, and she had been dyeing her long hair pink for years now.

Still only half awake, she proceeded to pack her bag for the day's three classes. Although she was sleepy, she made sure she had the correct textbooks and that her pencil case was packed neatly. Once she was done, she pulled on her favorite pair of Converse—colored in a light shade of lavender that complimented the rest of her outfit well—and headed out the door, barely remembering to grab her room keys on the way out.

Bonnie remembered to stop for breakfast en route to her first class. As she arrived to Chemistry lecture, she took one of the seats in the middle of the room, close enough so she could hear and see the professor but far enough away that he wouldn't be offended by her still finishing her coffee. She slipped on her glasses, not having bothered with contacts that morning. Bonnie carefully removed her notebook and selected her favorite mechanical pencil. Ready to take notes and feeling significantly less groggy now that there was coffee in her system, Bonnie had a positive outlook on the day.

Bonnie's last class let out five minutes early, much to the relief of most of the students in the room. It was only a few weeks into the semester and already she noticed that less and less students attended each lecture. She simply couldn't understand why; philosophy was just so interesting to her.

Emerging into the bright sunlight of the early afternoon meant shielding herself with her hand. The pink-haired girl cursed herself for neglecting to remember sunglasses or a hat today. _Oh well, I'll just have to manage with squinting the whole way back to my dorm._

About halfway back to her room, Bonnie emerged into the center of campus with countless other students who had just been released from class. Passing the library, she walked briskly with her eyes on her feet. She was silently reviewing what homework she had been given for the day and what she would need to get done this weekend. It was nice that she got out early on Friday; she could actually get a head start on her work for the next few days.

As she emerged from the bubble of her own thoughts, her eyes fell on one person among the mass of students. Bonnie picked out a tall and slender figure striding in the opposite direction as she. As the girl got closer, Bonnie noticed long black hair and piercing blue eyes contrasted with pale, snowy skin. The girl tucked her hands in the pockets of her oversized jacket and shifted the weight of a backpack slung casually over one shoulder. Bonnie began to look away, hoping the tall girl wouldn't catch her staring. But right as they were about to pass one another, the girl looked up and made eye contact with Bonnie for a fraction of a second. In that second it felt like the whole world slowed down. Everything seemed to move in slow motion as she stared into those beautiful sky blue eyes.

The moment vanished as suddenly as it started. Bonnie turned back to look at the mysterious girl who just passed her but only caught a glimpse of that long black hair before she disappeared into the crowd.

_Huh. I wonder why I saw that one girl out of everyone else._ Bonnie paused a second before thinking it strange, shrugging, and continuing back to her dorm.

Unlocking the door to her suite's common room, Bonnie was greeted warmly by her friends who were presently playing video games on the TV.

"Hey Bonnie! Come chill a while!" How was class?" The question came from her long-time friend Jake, who lived in the next hall over but practically resided in her suite. He was from her hometown, and she had been glad to know someone from home at the college when she moved there. He was goofy, but they had been friends for years and he was always fun to be around.

"It went well, thank you for asking." Bonnie returned her friend's inquiry with a warm smile. After greeting everyone and finding out which game they were playing—this time it was a game about zombies—she proceeded to her room, unlocking the door and setting her backpack down with a small thud. Her roommate had class for another hour or two, so she got the room all to herself. Enjoying a relatively quiet workspace, Bonnie wasted no time in getting down to her weekend workload. _Now, time to get the paragraph finished._

A knock on the door of her room startled Bonnie out of her deep concentration. "Come in," She hollered right before Jake poked his head around her door.

"Yo, PB. You wanna come get some dinner with us?" Bonnie smiled at one of the many variations on her childhood nickname, given to her by her Jake and his younger brother, Finn.

"Sure thing, Jake. Where are we going?"

"Oh, just the dining hall. They have tacos tonight!"

"Alright, just give me a few moments and I'll be right out." Jake closed the door and Bonnie saved the essay onto her laptop. In two hours not only had she perfected the troublesome paragraph, but also had made significant headway into the last three paragraphs of the paper. She was feeling good about her progress as the computer saved. Her stomach rumbling told her it was time for dinner indeed.

At the dining hall, Bonnie and several of her friends sat among the excited clamor of a weekend evening. Lady, Jake's girlfriend who was also Bonnie's suitemate, had joined them. Lady was a petite girl, very sweet, and always dressed very cutely. She had a thing for unicorns and rainbows, and liked to try to teach Bonnie how to speak Korean. At first Bonnie was awful at it, but recently she had been improving. She still wished she had been raised in a bilingual household like Lady had.

Plans were being tossed about at her table of friends, but she was only listening halfheartedly.

"PB. Yo, PB. Bonnie!" When she finally heard her name, Jake was laughing. "I called your name like 7 times!"

"Sorry. What did I miss?"

"What are you doing tomorrow night?"

"Um, nothing. Most likely working on my lab report. Why do you ask?"

"Well," Lady cut in, "We were thinking of going to a party. One of Jake's friend's classmates is holding it."

"I don't know," Bonnie confessed. "You know that parties aren't really my thing, Lady."

"I know, Bonnie, but you've been so buried in your work recently! You rarely come out of your room on the weekends and I want to see you get out a bit!" Bonnie knew that Lady was just meaning the best for her. And it was true, she hadn't gotten out in a while. Usually her weekends were full of homework, watching her friends play videogames, and viewing the occasional movie by herself. She mentally weighed how much homework she had and if she could take a break.

"Yeah, okay, I think I can manage it." As the agreement left Bonnie's mouth, Lady hugged her from across the table.

"Great! Now we just have to figure out what you'll wear!"


	2. Chapter 2

"I don't know, Lady. Are you sure?" Bonnie was holding up a pair of jeans and one of Lady's cropped shirts that she was insisting Bonnie borrow. Lady looked great in them, but Bonnie wasn't so sure she could pull it off. "Isn't it a bit cold for this kind of clothing?"

"Oh, fine. But I still think you'd look super cute in it." Lady tossed the shirt up onto Bonnie's bed. "Do you have anything _besides_ pink, Bonnie?"

Bonnie laughed. "Well there's some purple in there. Does that count?" Lady rolled her eyes and continued scouring Bonnie's closet for an acceptable outfit for her friend. Lady happened to know what was in fashion and dressed accordingly. Bonnie wished she could have the same innate sense of style.

"Here," Lady proclaimed, throwing a few hangers that Bonnie barely managed to catch. As she untangled them, the girl noticed a skirt, a tank top, and a cardigan.

"I still think it would look better with my crop top," Lady mused, "But this will also be cute. Now go try it on and show me."

Bonnie complied. Lady turned around as her friend began to change into the outfit. She wasn't sure why it was such a process to select an outfit, but clearly Lady knew what she was doing. "Okay, I have it on."

"Ah ha! Very nice, twirl for me." Lady examined the outfit from head to toe, looking pleased with herself.

"I like it," Bonnie confessed, and Lady clapped in excitement.

"It's about time we agreed on one! Now it's settled. Go ahead and do your makeup. We have 15 minutes before we leave!" Lady exited, leaving Bonnie alone to do her makeup. She swiped on some liquid liner as she though about the party. _I wonder what it will be like. I sure hope it isn't a frat party. I went to one of those during our first week here and had no fun at all._ Bonnie put on the finishing touches with a coat of mascara and some simple pink lipstick. For the most part, she liked her makeup relatively simple.

Bonnie exited her room, joining the rest of the group that had congregated in their common area. She saw her roommate emerge from the bathroom where she had been getting ready for her Saturday night. Bonnie waved a brief goodbye to Juli, who smiled politely. They weren't very close, but the girl was nice enough and didn't do anything to upset Bonnie—other than being on the phone a lot and staying out late to party from time to time.

Bonnie's group, now nearly ten strong as her friends met up with people to whom she had only ever been introduced briefly, began the 20 minute walk to the apartment where the party was being held. It was on campus in the upperclass apartments, where apparently all the decent on-campus parties were held (according to Lady). Some time later they arrived at a very unassuming brick building. Bonnie could hear faint music coming from one of the upper floors.

She and her friends proceeded up the steps to the fourth floor, where the party was being held. They knocked on the room's door, and the young man who opened it lit up.

"Yo, Jake! How's it goin'?" So this must be Jake's friend. "Jonathan is right through here if you wanna say hi." Jake thanked him and led the way into the already crowded apartment.

The next hour saw Bonnie being introduced to a myriad of people whose names she soon forgot. Most of them were friends of friends of roommates or some other distant relationship. Bonnie tried her best to listen to conversations but she eventually began to zone out.

"Bonnie? So what major are you?" One of the boys must have noticed that she was bored.

"Biochem." She responded, perking up a bit. Science had always been her favorite subject since she was little. She was a very detail-oriented person, which was great when she had to keep detailed journals and create lab reports.

"Wow. That's intense," The boy said. What was his name again? Bonnie mentally cursed herself. She had met more people tonight than she had in weeks and all the names were beginning to blur together. _Maybe I really _should_ get out more_.

Once he started launching into his career as the next basketball star, Bonnie couldn't help but zone out again. She felt bad, but sports were so dull to her. She had never been good at playing (or doing anything requiring physical coordination, for the matter) much less understanding the rules.

"I'm going to use the restroom," Bonnie whispered to Lady. As Bonnie slipped away to try and locate the facilities, she wove in and out of the throngs of people crowded into the tight apartment. She made her way through a kitchen with an open bar and sticky floors and eventually found a small powder room. It wasn't in the best shape considering how many people were there that night, but it would do for now.

After Bonnie had finished in the restroom, she headed back into the sticky-floored kitchen to pour herself a drink. Bonnie didn't drink often but at social events like this she would usually have something to sip at. She definitely wasn't the type to get wasted at these kinds of things and come home drunk, like her roommate sometimes did. Bonnie scanned the choices in front of her, which weren't great. Some really cheap, awful brand of beer, a handle of vodka, several liters of mixers, and some rum sat on the table before her. Not a fan of vodka and not wanting to taste the crappy beer, she settled on making herself a rum and coke. Bonnie tasted the drink, figuring that it was decent. She probably wouldn't finish it anyway.

She exited the kitchen and began searching for her friends. Unfortunately, they weren't in the same spot as when she had left for the restroom. She walked back through the living room and kitchen areas, but they were nowhere to be found. She pulled out her cellphone and composed a text to send to Lady.

_To: Lady_

_ Hey Lady, where did you guys head off to?_

After pressing send, she sighed and looked around. She didn't know anyone here except for the group she came with. She impulsively checked her cellphone but there was no reply. Bonnie was too shy to approach any of the strangers and ask to join in their conversations. _Well, at least I can go awkwardly stand over there by the wall instead in of the middle of the room like a doofus._

Bonnie headed over to the nearest wall in the main room of the apartment and leaned up against it. Above her some stairs led to what must be the bedrooms. Bonnie checked her phone again to no avail and took a sip of her drink. Her eyes scanned the crowd. The people watching here was alright, but so many of them seemed to look the same to her. She felt like it was all upperclassmen and athletes, whom she had nothing in common with. They all even seemed to dress similarly. Suddenly, she was very conscious of her bright pink locks. _At least it's hard to lose me in a crowd. But I did still manage to lose my friends, and it's not even midnight yet. Good going, Bonnie._

"Any good people watching?" A voice came from behind and slightly above her. Bonnie jumped, turning on her heels. A girl was draped over the banister of the stairs behind her, mere inches from her ear. A toothy grin spread over the girl's face.

"Sorry for scaring you," The girl chuckled, clearly amused at Bonnie's physical response. She walked down the stairs and stood next to Bonnie. Bonnie suddenly felt small. The girl's tall, lean figure easily towered several inches over her. She examined her face. Sort of angular, but not harsh, with a defined jaw and soft, pink lips arranged in a smirk. Bonnie's eyes traveled upwards. The girl had striking blue eyes set against pale skin. _Those eyes—they look so familiar…_

Bonnie snapped back to reality.

"Not scared—just _startled_."

"I see," The tall girl responded, but her eyes and her smirk revealed that she didn't really believe Bonnie.

Bonnie began looking at her again. That long, black hair and those blue eyes…. _Wait a second… this was the girl I saw the other day! Glob, I knew she looked familiar. She's so…. Pretty._

"So, what are you drinking?" The girl asked. Bonnie figured she had been silent for too long. _Get it together, Bonnie. Stop getting distracted._

"Rum and coke."

"Any good?"

"It's…. okay," She confessed with a smile. "You're not having anything?"

"Nah, I only drink occasionally and when I do, it's not gonna be the cheap stuff they have here."

"Wow, I thought I was the only one." Bonnie chuckled.

"What, who doesn't drink much? Or who hates shitty college party alcohol?"

"Both," Bonnie laughed. The tall girl smiled, and this time she looked less mischievous.

"I don't think I got your name?" The pale girl asked.

"Oh, my fault. I'm Bonnibel." She stuck out her hand.

"Marceline," The pale girl offered, shaking Bonnie's hand. She leaned against the wall next to Bonnie. "So, you go to school here too?"

"Yes, and yourself?"

"Yeah. I'm a third year, you?"

"I'm a sophomore."

"Major?"

"Biochemistry." Marceline's eyebrows raised.

"Really? Wow. That science stuff is way too complicated for me. I can never keep up. Do you like it?" The older girl asked.

"Yeah, I've loved chemistry ever since high school." Bonnie smiled. "I'm very detail-oriented so it suits me well. What's your major?"

"Music Industry."

"Really?" Bonnie was genuinely surprised. "Arts majors are hard to find in these parts." Their large university was heavy on the science majors.

"Yeah, I always get that." Marceline laughed. "I can't see myself doing much else though. Maybe music therapy. But it's the performing I love."

"Oh, cool. What do you play?"

"Well, mostly the bass, but also guitar, and a little bit of drums and piano. I play bass in a local band." She shrugged nonchalantly, but Bonnie thought it was cool. A musician—that would explain the leather jacket, shaggy hair, and ripped jeans. This girl didn't fit in with most of the rest of the crowd.

"That's great. I'm not very musical at all, but I find it very admirable."

"Heh, thanks. It's not a big deal though. We're not very well-known or anything." The tall girl ran her hand through her hair. Her raven-colored tresses came down all the way to her waist.

"So, you came here alone?" Marceline asked.

"No, I had a bunch of friends but they all went missing as soon as I went to get a drink." Bonnie pulled out her phone. 12:09 am. One missed text from Lady. Bonnie must have missed the text alert while she was talking to Marceline.

_From: Lady_

_Just stepped out for a few minutes. Sorry, I didn't realize my last text didn't send. Do you want to meet us at the nearby market? We were going to get something to eat. Or we can come back on our way home to meet you. Sorry again._

Bonnie laughed. They were the ones that insisted she go to this party and then they left. But Lady did say her text didn't send, so she wasn't all that mad.

"What is it?" Marceline asked.

"My friends got hungry and left." She rolled her eyes. "They were the ones that dragged me here in the first place."

"Food, huh? That sounds pretty good right now. Mind if I go with?"

"Sure, if you want." Bonnie was surprised the girl wanted to hang with her. She texted Lady back.

_To: Lady_

_Sure, which one? Marshall's Market? Bringing a new friend with me._

"So, let's get out of here, right Bonnibel?" Marceline linked an arm with Bonnie and winked. The dark-haired girl led her to the door. Once they were outside, Bonnie took a deep breath of the cool night air. It was refreshing after that sweaty, packed apartment. Marceline dropped Bonnie's arm and started heading downstairs. Bonnie's phone buzzed.

_From: Lady_

_That's the one. You know how to get there? And ooh, is he cute? ;)_

Bonnie chuckled. Lady was always so concerned with Bonnie's dating life, which had been nonexistent since the 10th grade. She was quickly losing Marceline, who took long strides, so she stowed her phone in her pocket and jogged to catch up.

"So where we going?"

"Marshall's. You know where it is?"

"Hmm, sounds familiar. Lead the way?"

"Sure." They walked in silence only for a moment.

"So, I guess you like pink." Marceline was smirking again.

"Oh, uh, yeah." Bonnie felt embarrassed.

"How long has your hair been like that?"

"Probably 5 years now. I started doing it in high school." She said sheepishly.

"I used to dye my hair a lot too. It looks good on you though. I don't know if I could pull off pink." Bonnie had assumed she wouldn't have liked it. With the black leather jacket, slouchy tee, and ripped up jeans, Marceline didn't look like one who would be very into pink.

"Oh, thanks." Bonnie might have been blushing at her compliment, but luckily it was dark so her new friend couldn't see. "So, do you live on campus?"

"Nope, I've got an apartment about a 10 minute drive away. You?"

"I live in the 2nd year dorms over in North Campus." _She's got her own apartment? That's cool._

"Nice." Marceline stuck her hands in her pockets and they walked for another minute or so in comfortable silence. As they rounded one of the residential buildings, Bonnie saw the neon sign of the market. "Here we are."

"Sweet," Marceline replied, and they headed in. Bonnie quickly found Lady and Jake in the small store.

"Hey guys!" She waved to them with a smile. "There's someone I want you to meet. This is Marceline."

"Oh, hello," Lady said somewhat hesitantly. Another two inches shorter than Bonnie, Lady was very much dwarfed standing next to Marceline. Jake wasn't eye to eye with the new girl, either.

"Hey guys, what's up? It's nice to meet you." Marceline smiled. "We're just gonna go grab some food." Marceline, obviously very excited at the prospect of food, headed off into one of the aisles. Bonnie followed suit.

"So, you have a nickname?" Marceline asked Bonnie while eyeing up the packs of ramen. "Bonnibel is quite a mouthful."

"Most people call me Bonnie. Do you have a nickname?"

"Marcy. Or, the Vampire Queen." Bonnie laughed. "No, seriously," Marceline said, turning to her.

"What? Why?" Bonnie was genuinely interested now.

"Well, when I was younger I was really into 'dark' stuff. I was sort of a weird kid, always wanted to be different, you know? I loved horror movies, creepy animals, and I was _obsessed_ with vampires. I can't tell you how many times I've read Dracula and watched the movies. I was so into it that I even started believing I was one of them. My dad wasn't around much so I kind of did whatever I wanted. I even started drawing bite marks on my neck. It was pretty funny now that I look back on it. I told my friends that I was a vampire queen. Not sure if they ever believed it, but they played along. But I still love creepy stuff, and Halloween is by far my favorite holiday. So I guess the nickname just stuck."

Bonnie chuckled. She could vividly imagine a younger version of Marceline decked out in all black Hot Topic gear. "That's cute. Well, if it makes you feel better, when I was a kid my parents called me Princess Bubblegum because I loved pink and dresses so much. I thought I was an actual princess." I chuckled. "It ended up sticking with my friends, too."

"That's funny. I can see why though." Bonnie noticed Marceline's smile was a little crooked, but nonetheless very cute. The pale girl turned back to pick up a cup of ramen.

"So, I can call you MarMar?" Bonnie joked. Marceline shot her a deadpan look.

"Never."

"Alright, alright." Bonnie put her hands up in defense. She walked into the next aisle over to grab a few boxes of candy. They both met up at the cash register. After they were done paying, the two headed over to Jake and Lady.

"Ready to go?" Lady asked Bonnie, and she nodded.

"Well, I guess I'll see you later?" Bonnie asked Marceline.

"I'll walk you home, if you want."

"Thanks for offering, but I'll be fine." Bonnie smiled warmly. "I have these two nerds to accompany me, anyway." Lady made a noise of protest.

"Haha, alright. Well here, let me give you my phone number in case you want to hang out again sometime." They exchanged phones and entered themselves into each other's contacts.

"Well, it was nice to meet you, Marceline." Before Bonnie could say much else, the tall girl leaned down to give her a hug.

"You too. See ya soon." Marceline winked and smiled before turning on her heels and striding out of the market.

"Soooooo, who was _that_?" Lady asked, elbowing Bonnie in the side.

"Ow!" Bonnie exclaimed. "Just a friend. I met her at the party after _you guys_ left me."

"So, is _that_ your type, Bonnie? Tall, dark, and mysterious?"

"Don't be silly." Bonnie replied. "Come on, let's go home."

While Jake and Lady talked, Bonnie walked a pace behind them. She thought about her friend's comment on the way back to their dorm. _Do I have a type? I only ever dated once before, and that was for a short time. I don't even like girls that way. _Bonnie shrugged but her thoughts went back to Marceline. Her tall, lean figure, the way she was self-confident and yet a tad mysterious. That long, black hair, the pale skin, and those striking blue eyes.

Bonnie snapped out of her thoughts to see that she and her friends had arrived at their dorm. She grabbed her wallet and fumbled for her keys to unlock the suite door and then her room door. She set down her candy on her desk as Jake and Lady sat down on the couch to start a movie. Bonnie flipped through her wallet and saw that something crucial was missing. She looked through her wallet again, checked her pockets, but there was nothing. She started leafing through the stuff on her desk, to no avail.

"Guys, I can't find my student ID." She was rubbing her forehead. How could she be so stupid to leave that somewhere?

"Oh no." Lady said, she and Jake turning around from the common room couch to look at Bonnie.

"Well you used it at the market, right?" Jake questioned.

"I think so, I just… don't remember. Ugh." Bonnie mentally cursed herself for her forgetfulness. She sat down on the couch dejectedly after going through her desk and wallet several more times.

"Hey, chill man, you'll find it eventually," Jake offered. Bonnie wasn't so convinced. She would have to purchase a new card, which was another $15 out of her food money. She was annoyed with herself, to say the least. It wasn't like her to be forgetful.

About 10 minutes into the movie, she got a text message.

_From: Sexy vampire queen ;)_

_Hey, I found your ID on the ground outside that market thingy. Nice picture, by the way._

_That must be Marceline,_ Bonnie thought, remembering the girl's nickname. _I didn't see her put that as her name in my phone_. Bonnie blushed. She was making a weird face in her ID photo and hated showing it to people. She was grateful, however, that Marceline had found her ID and that she wouldn't have to buy a new one.

_To: Sexy vampire queen ;)_

_Oh, thank glob you found it. I thought I'd have to get a new one. Can I meet you sometime soon to retrieve it?_

Bonnie didn't have to wait long for the reply.

_From: Sexy vampire queen ;)_

_Sure thing. Does tomorrow work for you? _

_To: Sexy vampire queen ;)_

_That would be great. Thank you so much._

_I should really change that,_ Bonnie thought. She proceeded to her contacts and changed the silly name to the correct one. Only a minute later, she got another reply.

_From: Marceline_

_No problem, Bonbon ;)_

Bonnie smiled. What a silly nickname. The two girls texted for another few minutes and arranged a pickup time at one of the popular campus coffeehouses the next afternoon. Bonnie looked at her phone. It was nearly 1:30 am now. Exhausted, she wished her friends and Marceline goodnight, brushed her teeth, changed into pajamas, and clambered into bed. Bonnie's thoughts drifted to Marceline's sky blue eyes and crooked smile one final time before sleep took her.


	3. Chapter 3

Marcy's POV

Marceline rolled over and cursed the sunlight that had the nerve to come in through her tightly shuttered blinds. Squinting and slowly making out the time of the clock, she read 12:50 pm. Not as bad as it could be. She was up late last night anyway. Besides, during the summer she would become almost nocturnal if anyone let her. She had always been a night owl, preferring to work into the wee hours of the morning.

Marceline checked her phone and noticed she had a text from Bonnibel confirming the time and date of today's pickup. _Well she certainly is detail oriented, _Marceline thought, remembering the girl's comment last night. Marceline texted her back a simple reply and then began to get ready for the day ahead of her. She proceeded into the bathroom adjoined to her bedroom and brushed out her long, black hair. Next she brushed her teeth and then headed back into her room to select an outfit. She flung open the small closet door and picked a standard staple—a slouchy tee, jeans, a flannel, sneakers, and one of her favorite maroon colored beanies. Marcy went into her kitchen and poured herself a bowl of cereal and a cup of coffee. She munched thoughtfully and thought about the party last night. _It wasn't much fun until she got there. But she's really cute and interesting to talk to, too. _She did some homework to kill the time before she met up with Bonnie, but found herself continually checking the clock. _Relax, you're just gonna give the girl her ID card and leave. No big deal._ But something within Marcy was simultaneously nervous and excited to see the new girl again.

When the time came, Marcy grabbed her stuff, barely remembering to grab the girl's ID and her own prized leather jacket, and headed out the door. She slung her bag over her shoulder and hopped on her motorcycle. Securing her helmet with a small click, Marceline inserted the key in the ignition. Checking and adjusting several gauges, she turned the key, made sure the bike was in neutral, squeezed the clutch, kicked up the stand, then hit the START button. The sudden rumbling of the once dormant engine brought a smile to her face. She loved this bike. She had bought it off a second owner in pretty bad condition and repaired and spruced it up herself. It was like her baby. And off course, it sported a gorgeous shade of cherry red, her favorite color. As she shifted into first gear and eased off the clutch, the bike began to move. She applied throttle and headed out of her apartment complex's parking lot, heading towards the school.

Once she reached the school's main entrance, she managed to find a spot in the parking lot close to campus center. She parked her baby in one of the designated bike spots, left her helmet there, and began the walk to the coffee shop. It wasn't too far away. Nestled next to the library and right in the center of campus, the coffee shop was decently sized yet the cozy furnishings and warm color made it feel intimate. She had arrived a few minutes early, so she saved Bonnie a seat and plopped down on one of the comfy red leather couches.

Not quite sure how to pass the time, she twiddled her thumbs a bit and checked her phone to see that Bonnie was on her way as of 10 minutes ago. She responded that she was already there and played a game on her phone to pass the time until Bonnie arrived.

"Hey," A voice said right above her some time later. Marceline has been so completely absorbed in her game that she hadn't seen Bonnie come in. She immediately saved, tossed the phone in her bag, and greeted Bonnie with a hug. The younger girl, still a little surprised by her new friend's ready affection, hugged her back after a moment.

"Here's your ID," Marceline said, quickly pulling it out of her wallet. Bonnie's face flooded with relief.

"Thank you so much. Seriously, I'm so glad you found this. I was worried I'd have to get a new one."

"Yeah, no problem. I'm glad I found it too. Those things are pretty important." Marceline replied. It was true. You had to use you student ID to buy food at the dining halls, get into the gym, and borrow books, in addition to another multitude of things.

Right as Marceline supposed it was time to leave since she had given Bonnie what she wanted, the pink-haired girl cut in. "So, do you want to get some coffee?"

"Uh, sure." Marceline was pleasantly surprised the girl wanted her to stay. After all, there were plenty of other things she could be doing on a Sunday afternoon. The pair strode up to the counter.

"Any recommendations? I've only been here once or twice." Marceline asked. It was true. She didn't go to the library much because there were limited books on her major, and she had a quiet place to study at home anyway. She tried to save money by not eating out much either, since she was mostly on her own financially. Bonnie listed off some of her favorites. Bonnie ordered a vanilla latte, and Marcy chose one of Bonnie's selections—a "dirty chai," or chai latte with a shot of espresso. Right as Marcy was getting out her wallet to pay, Bonnie grabbed her hand. Marceline was surprised at the sudden contact and did her best not to jump and break her cool-girl vibe.

"Hey, this is my treat. It's the least I could do for you since you found my ID and were willing to meet me so soon."

"Are you sure?"

"I insist." Bonnie smiled, and it was soft and kind, but Marcy had a feeling that this girl could be stubborn about such matters if it came down to it.

"Oh, okay, if you say so then." Marcy put her wallet away, not really used to anyone "treating" her with anything.

When asked for the names they should put on the cups, Marcy was surprised that Bonnie gave their silly nicknames. The cashier quirked an eyebrow but apparently had heard stranger, as she didn't say anything.

Once they drinks had been served, Bonnie and Marcy made their way back to the comfy red couch.

"So, what's your taste in music?" Bonnie knew exactly how to get Marceline talking.

"Well, mostly I listen to rock, some alternative, folk, and indie. But really I'll listen to anything you put in front of me. Last year, I took a class about indigenous music of Asia and Oceania, and it was really interesting." Bonnie was nodding, clearly interested. Marceline noted her outfit. She wore a pink hoodie and tank top, blue jeans, a pair of brown short boots, and her long pink hair was styled in a ponytail. Over her brown eyes she sported a pair of geeky but adorable round-framed glasses. _I guess she wore contacts last night. She looks really cute in these, though. Nerdy straight girls, Marceline. A little different than your last relationship. Is _this_ your type now?_ Marcy shook her head a little bit to regain her focus on what Bonnie was saying. No use finding her cute, when obviously there wouldn't be any mutual reciprocity there. Sometimes Marceline really hated being bi.

Bonnie was talking about her music tastes. "I like rock too, but I'm very varied. I'll listen to classical music when I study, and pop when I work out or am going to a party, and a lot of other genres to suit my mood." Marcy nodded, taking a sip of her drink for the first time.

"That's great. Hey, Bonnie, this is _really good_." Marcy commented. Bonnie's drink recommendation had been on point.

Bonnie laughed. "Thanks. It's addicting. I try not to come here every day of the week. They make the best stuff on campus and I'm at the library a lot so it's great. I always make my friends try this stuff then get them hooked. At this point I've referred so many people here I should get a reward or something. Sorry in advance, you're going to be here a lot more often now." She chuckled again. _She has such a great smile, _Marceline thought.

They started talking about various topics including Marceline's band, which Bonnie was interested in but Marcy was humble about. After that, they discussed hometowns, families, and current classes. The two were surprised to find out that they came from the same town, only two hours away by car. When Marcy checked the time again, she couldn't believe that they had been talking for over an hour and a half. _Bonnie's just so easy to talk to. Usually I'm bad at interacting with new people and don't know what to say, but she makes it so… effortless._

Bonnie looked at her watch and frowned. They had long since finished their drinks. "Aw glob dangit, I should be going soon. I told myself I'd work in the library for a few hours before it closes tonight."

"Okay." Marcy took that as her cue to stand up. "Well it was good talking to you, Bonnibel."

"Yeah, you too! Let me know if you're free or something next weekend, maybe we can hang out." Bonnie's smile made Marcy's heart warm.

"I'd like that," Marcy said, smiling back. She stooped down to give the younger girl a hug, and this time her new friend hugged back more without hesitation.

"Well, I'll see you soon I guess. Later!" Marcy strode out of the coffee shop, waving to Bonnie before exiting. She made her way back to her bike and started it up, heading for home. All she could think about on the ride back was the girl with the bubblegum pink hair, and how she hoped she would see her again very soon.


	4. Chapter 4

PB's POV

It was Friday, and Bonnibel was actually surprised at how little homework she had this weekend. Several of her teachers had given her a light load, and she was pretty surprised. As a Biochem major she didn't really know the meaning of "free time."

_What should I do?_ Bonnie spun around in her desk chair. She suddenly remembered that Marceline had wanted to hang out with her. Since she wasn't overcrowded with homework for once, like she usually was during the week, she could actually have time to hang out. Bonnie whipped out her phone and texted Marceline, figuring she already had plans but there was nothing to stop her from trying. She got a text just a few minutes later.

_From: Marceline_

_Sure thing, Bonbon. Nothing planned tonight except for a movie marathon. Whose place we crashing at?_

Bonnie thought about that for a moment, then offered her room. She knew Juli would be gone until late tonight anyway. She texted her friend back.

_From: Marceline_

_Sweet deal. Be ready in an hour? I've got the snacks._

Moments later, Bonnie's phone buzzed a second time.

_From: Marceline_

_Oh, and how do I get to your place? Any parking nearby?_

Bonnie gave her the directions to the nearest parking lot to her hall and then instructed her on how to walk to the dorm from there. Once she was done, she set to work straightening up her room. For the most part, she was very organized and clean, but during the week it had begun to slip a little bit. She made sure all her clothes were neatly hung in her closet, her trash was taken out, and the place smelled nice. Hopefully Marceline wouldn't mind the sweet smell of her body spray that doubled as her air freshener. Bonnie went and took a shower to wash the day's gunk off her.

When Bonnie was done her shower, she came back into her room. With her long pink hair wrapped in one towel and her body wrapped in another, she inspected her closet. _Hmmm…. I suppose I should look nice, right? But what should I wear?_ Bonnie wished that Lady was here to help her with her fashion choices, but it looked like this time she was on her own.

After much speculation, Bonnie settled on some comfy leggings, a slightly cropped shirt, and her favorite necklace. She hung up her towels, took a load of dirty clothes to the laundry room, and set up a cozy little space on her bed with blankets, pillows, and her laptop in case they were to watch a movie. _Should I put on make-up? Hmm, maybe not._ Before she had time to make up her mind, she got a text from Marceline.

_From: Marceline_

_Hey, I think I'm here. Come let me in?_

Trying her best to tame the butterflies in her stomach (and not quite knowing why they were there in the first place), Bonnie walked out of her room and proceeded to their suite door. Upon opening it, she found her friend leaning against the doorframe. She looked as cool and mysterious as ever. Bonnie gulped. She had never hung out with anyone this… _badass_ before.

"Hey Bonbon," Marceline said, half-smiling, half-smirking. She strode right into the common area before Bonnie could invite her in. Marceline walked over to Bonnie's open room door.

"This your room?" Bonnie nodded. "Nice place you have here, for a sophomore." Marcy chuckled. "Just joking. Really, it's nice. Roommate though? That sucks."

"You live by yourself?" Bonnie asked. It was a miracle to get a single room around here.

"Yeah, I live off campus, so I squeak by." _That's right, I forgot she lived off campus. That would explain why she needed directions to the nearest parking lot. Must be nice to not have to share your space with anyone._

"Well, luckily my roommate will be out partying tonight, so we don't have to worry about her. And I don't have that much homework this weekend, so I actually have a bit of free time for once."

Marceline nodded. "Cool," She said, throwing a plastic shopping bag in Bonnie's direction. The younger girl barely caught it. "Snacks," Marcy said. Bonnie peered into the bag. Popcorn, ramen, and a bunch of types of candy—all with one thing in common.

"Sooo… You like red candy then?" Bonnie raised an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah. It's my all-time favorite." She chuckled, grabbing the bag from Bonnie and digging through it. When she found something she liked, she popped the candy into her mouth. "Y'know, when I get a bag of Jolly Ranchers I only eat the cherry ones."

Bonnie wrinkled her nose in disgust. "But those are the worst! They taste like cough syrup!"

"Haha, you're crazy." Marceline chuckled. "So, where are we crashing?" Bonnie pointed up to her bed. "Oooh, how romantic." Marcy joked, kicking her boots off and climbing up the ladder. She brought the bag of candy with her. Perched upon the bed, she put her hand on her hip and wriggled her eyebrows up and down in some kind of suggestive motion. Bonnie rolled her eyes and shut the door to her room.

"Make room for me, you weirdo." Bonnie clambered up the ladder and pushed Marceline over to the wall so she could have a spot on the small bunk bed. As the pale girl readjusted to lay next to her, Bonnie fired up her laptop.

"So, what do you want to watch?" Bonnie asked, eyes fixed on the laptop screen. She pulled up the movie site she was subscribed to.

"Hmm, I thought that this one looked good." Marceline pointed to a romantic comedy. Bonnie's face wrinkled in disgust again.

"Seriously? That stuff is gross. And all the love interests look and sound the same anyway. How about this action movie?"

"Haha, nice one Princess. I was testing you, and you passed." Bonnie turned to Marceline, and their faces were very close indeed. Bonnie allowed herself to look at Marcy's crooked smile for just a moment before looking away.

"You're weird. Anyway, here goes." She pressed play and the two girls nestled into the blanket fort that was Bonnie's bed to watch the movie.

After the movie ended, Bonnie took Marceline to her nearby dining hall to grab some slices of pizza. Admittedly, their dining hall wasn't the greatest, but the food was alright most days. They brought the food back to the room and scarfed it down before deciding on the next movie.

"Okay, my pick." Marceline said, grabbing the laptop from Bonnie. She typed her query into the search bar of the movie website. "Haha! Here it is. One of my favorites." Marcy pulled it up. _Bloodlust 2. That looks pretty scary. I don't do scary movies._ As soon as Bonnie opened her mouth to protest, Marcy cut her off.

"That is, unless you think you'll get _too scared,_ Princess?" Marcy was smirking again. Bonnie examined her eyes to see if this was another test. The last thing she wanted to do was look like a chicken in front of her cool friend.

"No, I'll be fine, thank you very much." Bonnie stuck out her lip stubbornly.

"Alright then," Marcy said, hitting play.

20 minutes later, the first jump scare happened, and Bonnie flinched. Marceline looked at her with worried eyes, but the Princess was determined to appear courageous. Another five minutes later, though, when the ghost appeared in the window, Bonnie jumped and turned right into Marceline's chest. Although she was expecting her friend to tease her, she felt strong and slender arms wrap around her protectively. Bonnie opened one eye to turn back to the movie, and eventually rested her ear on Marceline's chest so that she could continue watching. She could hear the girl's heart beating. _This is… nice,_ Bonnie thought. Her thoughts drifted away from the movie and she closed her eyes.

"Hey now, don't get too comfy there," Marcy laughed. "I'm getting sore. Why don't we switch spots?" Marcy moved the laptop over to the wall, and Bonnie flipped sides. Now Marceline was behind her, and she felt the older girl's hands snake around her waist.

_Should I be… alarmed?_ Bonnie questioned herself. No, it was a reassuring touch, and she liked it. She let her hand rest on top of the other girl's. The feeling of Marcy's chest rising and falling slowly against her back was comforting, too. Bonnie did her best to manage the rest of the movie, but with Marceline there she decided it wasn't too bad after all.

At the end of the movie, the girls decided it was late enough for Marceline to stay over tonight. Bonnie went to the bathroom to change into her pajamas, a pink tank top and grey shorts. She headed back to her room, starting her next sentence before she was even fully in the door.

"Hey, so do you think we should watch another movie? If you're up for it, I thought—" Bonnie paused mid-phrase. She had looked up to see Marceline still changing into her pajamas. Facing away from her, the older girl was only wearing black sweatpants and a lacey bra. Bonnie immediately turned away, embarrassed.

"Uh—I'm sorry, I didn't realize… you weren't finished…" Bonnie stammered.

Marceline chuckled over her shoulder. "It's no biggie." She finished pulling a sheer shirt over her head. "You're fine to turn around now, you know."

Bonnie did so, and the other girl started pulling her long hair back into a ponytail. She tried her best to recover from her awkward moment.

"So, uh, are we going to bed now?" _Well shit Bonnie, when you say it like that, it sounds like you're a couple or something. You just can't seem to get anything right tonight._

"Sure, if you want."

Bonnie shut off both sets of lights in the room, and the girls climbed wordlessly up the ladder to Bonnie's bed. Bonnie laid on her back, and Marceline opted to sleep on her side facing away from Bonnie.

"Goodnight, Bonnie."

"Night," She replied. Bonnie stared at the ceiling. As her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she looked at the girl relaxing next to her. By the slow rising and falling of her chest, she figured her friend was already asleep. Bonnie looked at the slump of her shoulders, those pale hands tucked under her face, and the long raven ponytail that draped down her back. Bonnie sighed. Why did she get so nervous around this one girl? She hadn't felt like this in a long time. Was it possible that it could be… a _crush?_ Bonnie pondered a moment and then shook her head to dismiss the thought. But the way she looked at her, the way she got butterflies at that crooked smile…? If not a crush, what then? Certainly friends didn't act the way they did. But she had known her for such a short time, and she didn't even know if she liked girls! Or if Marceline did, either!

Bonnie sighed again. Too many thoughts were clouding her brain._ I guess I can ask her… Tomorrow._ Bonnie just hoped it wouldn't make things awkward between the two of them. Turning over, away from Marceline, Bonnie cleared her mind and let herself slowly drift off to sleep.

Bonnie's eyelashes fluttered open. Slowly, the world came into focus in the soft morning light. Marceline's face was all she could see. Bonnie figured she had tossed and turned during the night. Her eyes scrutinized the sleeping girl in front of her._ She looks so peaceful, I would hate to wake her._ Marceline's pale face was relaxed, her black hair strewn messily across her face, and she was drooling a little bit on Bonnie's pillow. Bonnie giggled, and Marceline began to stir. She squinted in the morning light, and her hand went to cover her face.

"Damn… it's so bright…" She opened her eyes as much as she could, seeing how close she was to Bonnie. Apparently it didn't faze her. "Mornin', princess. What time is it?"

"Not sure. My phone is down there." Bonnie waved in the general direction of her desk. Propping herself up to look over Marceline, Bonnie saw that her roommate was fast asleep in the bed across the room.

"Ugh. Five more minutes." Marceline moaned and rolled over onto her stomach with her face buried in the pillow.

"Marceline, are you gay?" Bonnie surprised herself with how bluntly she had blurted it out. _Tactful, Bonnie._

Marceline looked up, her eyebrows knitting together in a worried look.

"Well, I mean… yeah, kind of. I'm bisexual." She paused. "Is that a problem?"

"No, not at all! I was just… curious."

Marceline's expression changed back to her normal mischevious look. "Curious, huh?" She wiggled her eyebrows.

"No, not like that, I mean—" Before she could sputter out the rest of her sentence, Marceline took Bonnie's hands and put them around her waist, drawing them close. "How curious _are_ you, princess?"

Bonnie's eyes grew wide and she found that she had lost her ability to speak. "I…uh…"

Marceline chuckled and pulled away. "Relax, Bonbon. Just messing with ya."

"Ah, yes. Of course." Bonnie sat up as much as she could, but her bunk bed was only inches from the ceiling.

"Well, I suppose I should make us breakfast." Bonnie really just wanted an excuse to get out of that bed with Marceline. Her insides were squirming, and she didn't know if it was good or bad. She swung a leg over the side of the bed and climbed down the ladder. At the bottom, she shook her head. Her heart was still fluttering from being that close to the other girl. _What is this? Why am I feeling like this?_ Bonnie excused herself to go to the restroom at the end of the hall. She splashed cold water on her face and did her best to calm down. After giving herself a silent pep talk in the mirror, she headed back to her room and filled two bowls with cereal. At the sound of food, Marceline begrudgingly arose from her spot amidst the blankets. When she saw Bonnie's desk clock, she moaned.

"It's 9:30? Ugh Bonnie, it's the weekend, why are we awake this early?!"

"That's not that early, Marceline."

"It is for me. I'm practically nocturnal." She grumbled a bit. "You're lucky these Fruit Loops are good."

"I can't sleep in too late. I feel like I'm wasting productive hours." Marceline only shrugged in response.

After finishing the rest of their meal in silence (minus the exceptionally loud snoring of her roommate), Bonnie suggested that she should get started on the remaining work she had this weekend.

"Well, I guess I'll get going so you can work on your stuff. I'm probably gonna go sleep for five more hours." Marceline grabbed her bag and the remaining boxes of candy that were on Bonnie's desk. "You'll be fine dealing with this one?" She jerked a thumb in the direction of Juli's bed.

"Yeah, she does this every weekend. I'll just listen to music to tune her out." Bonnie produced a pair of headphones from her desk drawer.

"Alright. Well it was good hanging with you, Bonbon. I'll see ya later."

"Yeah. See you." Bonnie waved with a small smile to her friend. Marceline headed out the door of Bonnie's room and began to walk to her motorcycle. Bonnie turned back to her desk, booting up her laptop and getting to work.


	5. Chapter 5

_Author's Note: Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reviews and faves/follows! I hope you enjoy the next two chapters, as they kind of go hand in hand. Thanks for being patient with updates!_

_Marceline's POV_

As Marceline started her bike, she was thinking of her time spent with Bonnie. _You need to cool it, Marceline. Too much flirting and you'll scare her off._ She sighed, donning her helmet and flipping up the kickstand. Her bike sputtered to life and pealed away across the pavement.

Even as she reached her apartment, she couldn't get Bonnie off her mind. She parked her bike, stashed her helmet, and fumbled for her key. Once inside, she immediately headed for the shower. _Showers are always good for clearing my head._ Even the hot water only provided temporary relief. Upon drying off, Marceline threw on whatever clothes were closest and landed face down on her bed. She sighed into her pillow. Marcy's mind replayed that day's events: Bonnie's surprised look at their sudden closeness, her pink lips, that soft hair, and how they spooned last night. Marcy groaned.

_You have to stop this. It's insane! She doesn't even like you that way. But… she did let me spoon with her. And it seemed like she liked it. But then… ugh. I don't know._ Marceline was too tired to think any more about it. Sprawled out like a starfish on her bed, she quickly fell asleep.

Marcy awoke a few hours later. She opened the curtains to find it was early afternoon. _Guess I should do some more homework._ She sat down at her desk, pulling her Music Industry notebook from her backpack. She opened her laptop and sat down to do the assigned reading and discussion questions.

At some point, she decided it was time for lunch and went to the kitchen to assemble a meal out of whatever was in her fridge. After she had eaten, she returned to her room and checked her phone. She had been studying for a while; it was already 4pm. Checking her phone, she saw a text from Bonnie.

_From: Bonnibel_

_I'm sorry, I hope I didn't hurt your feelings earlier. That was very blunt of me. I was wondering if you'd want to hang out tonight or tomorrow. I'll be done my lab report earlier than I thought._

Marcy smiled. _Well, at least she still wants to hang out with you,_ she thought. Marcy texted her back.

_To: Bonnibel_

_Sure, I've still got another hour or so of homework but I'll be done for the day after that. What should we do?_

It was only a matter of minutes before she got another text.

_From: Bonnibel_

_Could we use your place? Juli isn't feeling well. She partied really hard last night and I would feel bad having someone here while she's hung over._

Marceline looked around. Her place could use some cleaning up if she was going to have guests over.

_To: Bonnibel_

_Sure, just give me a bit to straighten up around here. If you wanna come over at 7 we can order take out or something._

Marceline remembered to text Bonnie her address. She sat down with renewed purpose to finish her assignment, writing the last few questions with ease. Proud at herself for getting the whole assignment done in such a short time, she set to work straightening up her bedroom, living room, and kitchen before Bonnie was to get there. It was admittedly the first time she'd cleaned in a while. She opened the windows to get some fresh air in her bedroom. She decided that she'd have to open the curtains more often. Though she usually liked the dark, the late afternoon sunlight streaming in through her window was rather refreshing. At 6:45 she got a text from Bonnie.

_From: Bonnibel_

_I'm so sorry. My ride flaked and it doesn't seem there's any buses that go in your direction. Is there any way you could pick me up?_

She didn't have anything better to do, so Marcy agreed to pick up Bonnie. Recalling the route she took to the parking lot the other day, Marceline fired up her bike. She made sure to grab a second helmet for her friend. Soon her bike pealed away from the asphalt outside her apartment. The feeling of wind in her hair made Marceline exuberant. The weather was perfect for biking, too. Cool enough in the mid-September evening to wear a jacket, but not cold enough yet to be uncomfortable.

Marceline pulled into the parking lot by Bonnie's dorm and shut off her engine. She whipped out her phone to text her friend.

_To: Bonnibel_

_I'm here. Look for the red bike._

Minutes later, Marceline saw Bonnie walking down the sidewalk towards the lot. Once Bonnie got close, the older girl took off her helmet. Bonnie's face was a mix of awe and surprise.

"You didn't mention you drove a motorcycle. Why should I be surprised?" Marceline grinned widely. She evaluated Bonnie's clothing choice: a cute pink dress with purple trim and a cropped jacket of the same hue. Her hair was in some kind of updo that would take Marceline years to execute.

"You look cute, princess, but you might want to change into pants." Bonnie frowned but agreed that pants were probably a better choice for the ride back to Marceline's. She went back into her dorm to change and was back a few minutes later. Marceline scanned her again. She had kept the jacket but changed into blue jeans. Underneath the jacket was a tank top. She also had brought a backpack this time around. Marceline nodded her approval and Bonnie approached the bike. Marceline stopped her to hand her the helmet.

"Here, take this. Hopefully it fits alright." Marcy helped Bonnibel adjust the strap so that it fit snugly. Marcy couldn't help thinking that the helmet looked very dorky but also cute on the younger girl.

"Okay, now just hop on behind me." Bonnie obliged Marceline's directions. "You ever done this before?"

"No." Marcy could hear the nervous edge to Bonnie's voice.

"Don't worry, Bonbon, you'll be fine. Just hold on to my waist for support and put your feet up there." Marcy pointed to the footrest and Bonnie placed her feet gingerly, as if the bike would leap forward at any moment. When Marcy started the engine, Bonnie jumped. Marceline did her best not to laugh.

"Alright. You ready?" Marcy heard a weak "yes" and took that as her cue to go. She felt Bonnie's arms wrap around her waist and she eased off the clutch and gently twisted the throttle. The two began to move and Marcy felt Bonnie's arms tighten around her waist. Marcy headed out of the parking lot and towards her apartment.

Somehow, they made it to Marcy's apartment in one piece. Even with her extra careful driving, Marcy felt like Bonnie was going to cut off her circulation because she was holding on so tightly the whole ride. She had no idea the shorter girl could be that strong.

They pulled into the parking lot and Marcy cut the engine. Once the kickstand was down on the ground and Bonnie felt safe enough to let go, Marcy gracefully dismounted the bike. Bonnie awkwardly swung a leg over the side and managed to stumble off. Marcy chuckled, unstrapping her own helmet before helping Bonnibel with hers. The two headed through a lobby area and up a flight of stairs before arriving at Marceline's door. Marceline stopped and spun around dramatically.

"Get ready, because you're about to enter… the _lair of the Vampire Queen_." Marcy whispered darkly. Bonnie just rolled her eyes, clearly not having Marceline's antics. Marcy laughed and unlocked the door.

They walked in to the living room and Marceline hung her leather jacket on the coat rack. She did the same for Bonnie as the younger girl looked around.

"You like it?" Marceline asked. "It's not much, but it's home."

"I do. It's very cozy." The small apartment certainly didn't leave much to the imagination. For the most part, all the rooms were visible from the entryway. The front door led one right into the living room with the small kitchen on the left. Down a short hallway was Marceline's bedroom and the adjoined bathroom. The walls were a neutral beige—since she wasn't allowed to paint, Marcy had decorated the walls with artwork.

"Here, let me take you on the tour." Marceline led Bonnie through the living area and then down the hallway. She flipped the light switch to her bedroom and closed the windows since it was getting chilly as night fell.

"And there's the bathroom, and this is my room." Marceline shrugged, not really knowing what else to say. She was glad she had cleaned her room, but it was still a little cluttered. Countless band posters hung on the walls, and her desk was still somewhat messy. Bonnie, standing in the doorway, suddenly headed to one corner of the room.

"You have a record player?" She lightly touched the patent black leather of the record player. It looked almost like a suitcase, and it was perched atop a tall table that stored vinyl albums in a shelf underneath.

"Oh, yeah. I got that a year or so ago. It's a newer model, only a couple years old. It's a travel version- that's why it looks like a suitcase. It's super portable. The speakers are even built in, which is pretty sweet." Marceline walked over to join Bonnie. She opened a latch and flipped up the top part of the "suitcase" to reveal the body of the record player.

"I'm so jealous. I've been wanting one like this for a while now." Bonnie sighed.

"Well hey, why don't we come back to this once we've had dinner. Is Chinese take out good by you?" Bonnie nodded her approval. The two headed back into the kitchen to call in their order.

They talked for a while as they waited for the delivery guy and eagerly dug into the food upon his arrival. As they were scraping the last scraps of delicious Chinese food from the containers, Marceline prodded Bonnie's side with her elbow.

"Hey, you still want to check out the record player?" Marceline asked. Bonnie nodded earnestly.

"Cool." Marceline collected their empty takeout containers and chucked them in the trashcan. The two girls headed back into Marceline's bedroom. Bonnie was instructed to drag out a nearby box of records as Marceline put the record player on the floor. She unlatched the turquoise lid to reveal the main body of the record player.

"See any you like?" She asked.

Bonnie leafed through the albums and pulled one out. She recognized the band and knew one or two of their songs but hadn't listened to the whole album yet.

"Good choice." Marceline took the record from Bonnie, removing it from its sleeve and setting it on the player. She unlocked the needle and turned the power switch on. When the needle dropped onto the vinyl, they heard a slight crackle before the room filled with dreamy indie music. Bonnie swayed to the tune while Marcy continued to leaf through the albums.

"Have you heard this one?" Marcy asked Bonnie, who shook her head. "You should definitely listen to it," Marcy recommended.

The next 20 minutes or so saw the girls discussing music preferences and which albums they loved the most. Bonnie was impressed by Marceline's varied music tastes—the girl owned albums of everything from rock, to classical, to jazz.

"Is there any music you _don't _like?" Bonnie asked, holding up a smooth jazz record.

Marceline chuckled. "Not really. I'll pretty much give anything a shot."

Bonnie smiled. "That makes sense. I guess I just didn't imagine Ms. Punk Rock being into jazz."

"Well it really depends on my mood. That album is really great for when I'm stressed," Marceline explained. "How about you? What music do you listen to when you're stressed, Bonnie?"

"Well, if I'm really stressed I prefer quiet," She confessed. "I do like music, but sometimes, I prefer silence since I'm kind of bad at tuning music out. When I'm studying music has to be pretty quiet, or at least instrumental." She paused. "I wish I was musically talented, though. I can't sing or play anything."

Marceline laughed. "Come on, I'm sure you can sing."

Bonnie shook her head. "Not well. I won't let anyone hear me sing."

Marceline poked her playfully. "Come on, not even me?"

"No, because you're good at it, so that makes me feel even worse!"

Marceline laughed. "Alright, alright, I won't make you sing."

"Good."

As the girls fell silent, they realized that the record had stopped playing a long time ago. It had become very quiet in the room.

"So, uh, wanna watch a movie?" Marceline asked, first to break the tension.

"Sure." With that, Marceline grabbed her laptop and Bonnie clambered onto the bed, getting under the covers. She propped up some pillows and Marceline joined her, laptop in hand.

The two girls selected a film and then settled in to watch it, sitting side by side in the dark room.

Despite how she tried, Marceline couldn't focus on the movie. She was hyperaware of Bonnie's proximity to her. She glanced at Bonnibel's face through her periphery vision, but the younger girl was thoroughly engrossed in the movie.

After turning it over in her head for several minutes and weighing out all the possible incomes, Marcy took the plunge and laid her head on Bonnie's shoulder. The girl was warm to the touch, and her shoulder didn't make an uncomfortable pillow.

Marcy's heart skipped a beat when Bonnie began to stroke her hair. _I guess that means she likes this too?_ Marcy's head swam with the possibilities. She closed her eyes and tried to push all the scenarios out of her head. _Right here, right now, I am happy. _She could feel her body beginning to relax as Bonnie's fingers combed through her locks.

"Marceline?" Bonnie was gently shaking her. "Marceline, you fell asleep during the movie. Do you want to go to bed now?"

Marcy nodded. She exited the bed to put the laptop away.

Bonnie snuggled in under the covers, and Marcy already missed the girl's body warmth. Marceline sighed, grabbing a pillow and heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Bonnie asked, sleep making her eyes and voice heavy.

"Well I figured you'd take my bed and I'd sleep on the couch," Marcy explained, jerking her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the living room.

"No, stay here," Bonnie pleaded. "There's more than enough room for the two of us."

"You sure?" Marceline offered.

"Of course. Now come back here, you loser." Marcy chuckled at Bonnie's comment and headed back over to her bed. She clambered in next to the younger girl.

"Goodnight, Bonnibel."

"Goodnight, Marceline."


	6. Chapter 6

_(Bonnie's POV)_

_Why isn't she holding me like she did at my dorm?_ Bonnie wondered. She let out a nearly inaudible sigh and turned away from Marceline. Her sleep-fogged mind wanted to pursue the subject further but simply couldn't. Bonnie's exhausted psyche quickly gave itself over to sleep.

When she next awoke, it was still dark out. She turned over to look at the clock. 3:23 am. She relaxed back down on the bed and saw Marceline was facing her. The girl was slumbering peacefully, one arm resting on her torso and the other on the pillow by her face. Marceline's countenance was relaxed, and her chest rose and fell with a steady pace. Bonnie looked from her face to her hand. Without giving herself too much time to question the possible outcomes, Bonnie reached out her hand to hold Marceline's. It was warm, and the tips of the girl's fingers were calloused from playing the bass. Marceline began to stir. Her eyes eventually fluttered open and she looked at their hands for a few moments. She turned to Bonnie's face and inched her body closer, keeping their hands joined. Seemingly satisfied, she closed her eyes again. Bonnie gently rubbed her thumb across Marceline's hand and the older girl, eyes still closed, did the same. They stayed like that for a while- Bonnie wasn't quite sure how long. Bonnie's hand eventually slipped out of Marceline's and she started to gently stroke the back of Marceline's hand. She drew little circles lightly with her fingers and Marceline gave a little smile. Bonnie slowly began to trail her fingers up the girl's arm and to her shoulder before making her way over to her clavicle. She continued on to her neck, and Marceline let out a contented sigh. Marceline's arm draped over Bonnie's side and drew little shapes on her hip. Bonnie's fingers traced up and around the older girl's jaw and then continued to move upwards. Once she reached her lips, she stopped. Marceline planted a small, gentle kiss on the finger that was pressed against her mouth. Her eyes fluttered open to see Bonnie's reaction. The two looked at each other for a moment, considering what would come next. As if drawn together by some invisible force, Bonnie felt herself leaning in closer and closer to Marceline.

When their lips finally met, Bonnie closed her eyes. The first kiss was gentle and soft. Each kiss was longer than the last, and Bonnie could feel Marceline's hands around her hips drawing them closer. Bonnie put her arms around Marcy's shoulders and tangled her hands in her hair.

When at last they came up for air, the two girls just looked at each other in amazement. Neither knew quite what to say.

"Wow." Bonnie was the first to break the silence. Marceline could only smile.

This time Marceline led in closing the gap between them. The older girl was not as restrained this time. Marceline kissed her harder, and Bonnie felt herself doing the same. It felt like something warm was filling her chest and radiating out through her body. Marceline's kisses were positively _electric_.

Bonnie felt hands exploring her body, slowly caressing her side, and moving under her shirt. She pulled Marceline closer, not wanting to think about the ramifications of anything for once, only wanting to simply enjoy the moment. The lack of responsibility she felt as all of her other obligations melted away was freeing.

As Marceline's hands traveled over her, Bonnie felt as if she should do the same. She wasn't very experienced in this field—she had only dated one boy in high school and they hadn't ever gotten past some very tame kisses—but she figured that she could make it up as she went along. Bonnie started at Marceline's back and trailed her hands down to her hip and up the curve to her waist.

She felt Marceline's tongue flicker over her lower lip, and as she opened her mouth to ask what she was doing, the other girl's tongue dove in. It was a bit of a strange feeling, but Marceline seemed to know what she was doing and it wasn't unpleasant. As Marceline's tongue pulled slowly out of Bonnie's mouth, Bonnie bit down a little bit on accident. Marceline stopped.

_Fuck. I fucked up. She's going to hate me_. Bonnie did her best not to panic.

"Bonnie, did you… bite me?" Marceline looked confused.

"Ah, I'm so sorry, that was on accident, I—" Bonnie felt her face go bright red and she wished she could hide.

"No, it's okay, that was kind of—_hot_." Marceline grinned and pulled Bonnie back in for another long kiss. In a smooth motion, she pushed Bonnibel over onto her back and got on top of her. Bonnie felt her face heat up again as Marceline broke the kiss and moved to her neck, leaving a bunch of kisses in a trail down to her collarbone. Marcy pulled away only long enough for Bonnie to wonder what she was doing and then she felt her kiss one spot right under her jaw. She started to suck and gently nibble on the spot, and Bonnie closed her eyes. She was surprised at how good that felt. She clutched Marceline's arms and the girl pulled away the tiniest bit. She could feel her hot breath on her neck as she spoke.

"Is that okay?"

"Yeah. Good. Really good." Bonnie replied breathlessly. She could almost hear Marceline's smirk as she repeated the process in a different spot further down on her neck. The feeling of the other girl's body on top of hers was amazing.

Bonnie felt Marcy's hands slip under her shirt again and go slowly up her stomach until they reached the underwire of her bra. They traced slowly along it until they reached the clasp in the back. Bonnie pulled away before Marceline could unhook it.

"Marceline, wait," Bonnie said breathlessly. The other girl looked up, still on top of her but immediately pausing what she was doing.

"I—I think maybe we should wait. This is all happening kind of fast." _Plus I have no idea what I'm doing,_ Bonnie mentally added.

"Oh. Yeah. Of course. Sorry." Marceline withdrew her hands from Bonnie's shirt, and she rolled over so that she was laying next to Bonnie.

Bonnie had detected something in her voice—what was it? Sadness?_ I hope I didn't disappoint her. But I don't want to go there—not yet at least. I want to get to know her better first._

"It's okay. I really liked it…" She saw Marceline's face light up a little bit—"But I just don't think I'm ready for that yet."

"Yeah, of course. That's cool. We can take it slow."

Bonnie smiled and rested her head on Marceline's chest. She felt Marcy's fingers entwine in her hair and start playing with her bright pink locks. The feeling was soothing to Bonnie, and she sighed happily. Bonnie wrapped her arms around Marceline's waist.

"Goodnight, Marceline," Bonnie whispered.

"Night, Bonnie," Marceline replied. Bonnie's eyes closed and the feeling of Marceline's hand stroking her hair lulled her to sleep again.

When Bonnie woke, Marceline was fast asleep, snoring ever so slightly. Bonnie chuckled inwardly. Marcy was quite the sight with her black hair strewn everywhere and her limbs arranged awkwardly. Bonnie looked at the clock again. 8:45 am. Bonnie stared at the ceiling, hoping to go back to sleep but suddenly feeling alert. Her mind immediately jumped to their makeout session. _So, what was that all about? It all happened so fast. I liked it though. _Bonnie recalled the electrifying feeling of Marceline's body against her own and of both their hands roaming freely._ So, does that make me… gay? Oh my god, am I gay? _Her thoughts began to run a mile a minute. _Well, Marceline said she's bi. Could I be bisexual? Is that it? Is this going to make things awkward? I hope she isn't awkward about this when she wakes up. Was that just a one-time thing? Will it happen again? What have I done? Oh god._

Bonnie covered her eyes with her hands as if trying to block out her own thoughts. When she realized that wasn't working, she rolled over and looked at Marceline again. _I hate waking up before the other person at sleepovers but it always happens._ _She said herself that she's practically nocturnal. But I won't be getting more sleep anytime soon. _Bonnie grabbed her phone from the bedside table and checked every social media account she had to kill time. She even downloaded a free game app on her phone, but once she had played for a while Marceline was still fast asleep. Bonnie sighed, but then she got an idea. _Maybe I can make myself useful and make us some breakfast._

Bonnie slipped out of the bed and headed into the kitchen. At first she wasn't sure where anything was—being in a new kitchen always felt a little alien when she didn't know the layout—but she quickly began to catch on. Bonnie opened the fridge to see what she had to work with. The pickings were pretty slim—she supposed that Marceline wasn't really one to cook often. _What can I make? Hmm… oh, I know. Eggs._ Bonnie found a saucepan and heated some butter in it, cracking eggs into another bowl and whisking them. She chopped up some of the vegetables that Marcy had in her fridge. She poured half the eggs into the pan and once they started to cook she used a spatula to push in the sides. She added cheese and the chopped vegetables as she folded the first omelette. Once the cheese was sufficiently melted she transferred the eggs to a plate and put more butter into the pan to repeat the process. Meanwhile, she took a few slices of bread and toasted them to golden perfection. The room began to fill with the fragrance of freshly cooked food. Only a few minutes later, a very sleepy Marceline stumbled into the kitchen.

"Mmmm… Hey." Marceline mumbled with a smile.

"Good morning," Bonnie replied sunnily.

"You made breakfast? You really didn't have to."

"That's alright, I wasn't able to go back to sleep anyway. And besides, you let me stay here so I figured it was the least I could do."

"Well, it smells amazing." Marceline complimented, sniffing the air. "What did you make?"

"Omelettes and toast. Hope you like it." Bonnie handed Marceline a plate with eggs and bread. Marceline gratefully accepted and grabbed some condiments and silverware as Bonnie put the finishing touches on her omelette. Bonnie carried over her still-hot breakfast and joined Marceline at the table. Marceline had already started with her food.

"Bonnie," Marceline said, her speech slightly muffled from the food stuffed in her mouth, "This is _so good._ Where did you learn to cook so well?"

Bonnie chuckled. "I'm glad you like it. My parents encouraged me to cook from a young age, and I watch cooking TV shows all the time."

"That's awesome. I'm pretty horrible at cooking. I can make pasta, and a couple other things, but that's about the extent of my cooking skills." She paused to take another huge mouthful of toast. "Oh, and brownies, but only from the mix."

Bonnie smiled. "I have a huge sweet tooth. I love to bake. Baking is a lot like science, really. It has to be very precise in order for everything to work. I guess that's why I like it so much."  
>"Well I guess you'll have to teach me," Marceline said.<p>

"Alright, sounds like a challenge. What's your favorite dessert?"

"Hmmm… that's a tough one. I guess I would say cherry pie. But I do like anything with chocolate."

"I make a pretty mean pie."

"Alright Bonbon, you make me a pie and you can stay here as long as you want. Deal?"

Bonnie chuckled. "Deal."


End file.
